kin I come
down yer, en den she say I better bring deze yer cloak en pairsol."

"Now you dun brung um," responded Uncle Remus, "you des better put um in
dat cheer over dar, en take yo'se'f off. Thunder mighty ap' ter hit
close ter whar deze here slick-head niggers is."

But the little boy finally prevailed upon the old man to allow 'Tildy to
remain, and after a while he put matters on a peace footing by inquiring
if roosters crowed at night when it was raining.

"Dat dey duz," responded Uncle Remus. "Wet er dry, dey flops der wings
en wakes up all de neighbors. Law, bless my soul!" he exclaimed
suddenly, "w'at make I done gone en fergit 'bout Mr. Rooster?"

"What about him?" inquired the little boy.

"One time, 'way back yander," said Uncle Remus, knocking the ashes off
his hands and knees, "dey wuz two plan'ations right 'longside one er
'ne'r, en on bofe er deze plan'ations wuz a whole passel of fowls. Dey
wuz mighty sociable in dem days, en it tu'n out dat de fowls on one
plan'ation gun a party, w'ich dey sont out der invites ter de fowls on
de 't'er plan'ation.

"W'en de day come, Mr. Rooster, he blow his hawn, he did, en 'semble um
all tergedder, en atter dey 'semble dey got in line. Mr. Rooster, he
tuck de head, en atter 'im come ole lady Hen en Miss Pullet, en den dar
wuz Mr. Peafowl, en Mr. Tukkey Gobbler, en Miss Guinny Hen, en Miss
Puddle Duck, en all de balance un um. Dey start off sorter raggedy, but
't wa'n't long 'fo' dey all kotch de step, en den dey march down by de
spring, up thoo de hoss-lot en 'cross by de gin-house, en 't wa'n't long
'fo' dey git ter whar de frolic wuz.

"'Dey dance, en dey play, en dey sing. Mo' 'speshually did dey play en
sing dat ar song w'ich it run on lak dis:

"'_Come under, come under,
My honey, my love, my own true love;
My heart bin a-weepin'
Way down in Galilee._'

"Dey wuz gwine on dis a-way, havin' der 'musements, w'en, bimeby, ole
Mr. Peafowl, he got on de comb er de barn en blow de dinner-hawn. Dey
all wash der face en ban's in de back po'ch, en den dey went in ter
dinner. W'en dey git in dar, dey don't see nothin' on de table but a
great big pile er co'n-bread. De pones was pile up on pones, en on de
top wuz a great big ash-cake. Mr. Rooster, he look at dis en he tu'n up
he nose, en bimeby, atter aw'ile, out he strut. Ole Miss Guinny Hen, she
watchin' Mr. Rooster motions, en w'en she see dis, she take'n squall
out, she did:

"_'Pot-ra